Hand-hole for pneumatic-tube systems.



No. 856,145. I PATENTBD JUNE 4, 1907. W. V. HART & F. J". NOVAK. HAND HOLE. FOR, PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEMS..

APPLICATION FILED OCT-25, 1906.

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WALTER V.

HART, OF MAYWOOD, AND FRANK J. NOVAK, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

HAND-HOLE FOR PNEUMATIC-TUBE SYSTEMS! Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed October 25.1906. Serial No. 340,504.

To all w/tom it may concern:

Our invention relates to hand-holes for pneumatic tube systems, and its object is to provide an easily removable hand-hole cover which will give access to any desired part of the tube said covering being easily removed and replaced and hermetically sealing the hand-hole while leaving the tube perfectly smooth within so as not to obstruct the passage of the carriers.

In pneumatic despatch systems it frequently happens that either by reason of some obstruction on a worn carrier or accidental stoppage of the pumping machinery, the carriers or some of them will stick in the tubes; and under such circumstances it is practically impossible to start the system by any rise of pressure or excess of vacuum capable of being produced by the ordinary machinery used in propelling the carriers. Accordingly, when such a stoppage occurs it becomes necessary to remove the lodged carrier or carriers and start the system with the despatch tubes empty. For this purpose, the construction heretofore used has usually been a removable section of tube, which section is held in place by sleeves when the tube is closed; but such construction is not only likely to offer obstruction to the passage of the carrier but is much more expensive to install than that hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of a pneumatic despatch tube showing our cover applied to one of the hand-holes thereof, the parts being broken away to better show the construction thereof; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, drawn to a somewhat larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a portion of despatch tube showing the preferred location of such hand-hole and cover.

1 is the tube to which the invention is applied, said tube being cut away as at 2, such cut away portion being of somewhat greater length than the longest carrier used, extendmg in all cases to the middle plane of the tube as at 3; so that when the cover is detached as 4, 4, for the Illinois, and Chicago, Cookthe carrier may be readily removed from the orifice thus opened. The ends of the orifice are preferably curved on the arc of a circle as purpose of permitting the easier fitting of the inner plate of the cover. This inner plate 5 is preferably a section of a tube of the same size as that in which the orifice is provided and the section 5 must be made a close fit in the orifice to prevent leakage therefrom. The section 5 is attached to a curved plate 6 of greater length and width than itself, said plate thus being preferably of resilient metal and of a width somewhat greater than the semi-circumference of the tube to which it is applied, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. This construction permits the plate 6 to be crowded over the tube 1 a slight distance past the median plane thereof so that it will be temporarily retained in place by its own resilience, as will be understood by referring to Fig. 2.

The plates 5 and 6 are secured together in any desired manner as by countersunk rivets 7, although it will be understood that they may be brazed or soldered or joined in any other preferred manner.

The plate 6 is firmly secured to the pipe 1 after the hand-hole is closed by clips 8 of any desired construction, the form shown in the drawing being that of a split ring having lugs 9 through which pass any desired fastening means, as a bolt and nut 10.

It is found in usual working conditions, that when a carrier lodges in a tube it almost invariably stops at the beginning of a curved portion of such tube and the location of the and-hole and cover is therefore preferably that shown in Fig. 3; the direction of the travel of the carriers being indicated by the arrow in said figure. When a carrier thus lodges, it will be readilyunderstood that the clips or rings 8 may be loosened and slid endwise from the plate 6, whereupon the connected lates 5 and 6 may be readily detached 'rom the main tube by springing the plate 6 over the wider part of the tube, and the lodged carrier may then be located and withdrawn and the hand-hole closed as will be readily understood.

The advantages of our invention result from the low cost of the construction, the increased strength of the main tube at such oints, the ease with which the cover may e removed and replaced and the complete absence of any roughness or obstruction on the inner face of the tube.

Many changes may be made in the construction by the skilled mechanic Without departing from our invention,'since What We claim is 1. In a device of the class described, in combination, an apertured tube, a plate closely fitting said aperture, and an outer resilient member secured to said plate, said member being constructed and arranged to span said tube and by its resilience retain the plate in position; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described,in combination, an apertured tube, an inner plate closely fitting said aperture, and an outer resilient plate of greater area than the inner plate and attached thereto, said outer plate being constructed and arranged to span said tube and by its resilience retain the inner plate in position in said aperture; substantially as described.

3. In a hand-hole construction for despatch tubes, in combination, an apertured tube, an inner plate closely fitting said aperture, an outer plate of greater area than said aperture attached to said inner plate, and means for securing said plates to said tube; substantially as described.

4. In a hand-hole construction for despatch tubes, in combination, an apertured tube, a plate closely fitting said aperture, a resilient member for temporarily retaining said plate in position in said aperture, and means for securing said plate and member to said tube; substantially as described.

5. In a hand-hole construction for despatch tubes, in combination, an apertured tube, an inner plate closely fitting said aperture, an outer plate of greater dimensions than said inner plate and secured thereto, and clamp-rings for securing said plates to said tube; substantially as described.

6. In a hand-hole construction for despatch tubes, in combination, a tube having an aperture comprising a semi-circumference of said tube, an inner plate closely fitting said aperture, an outer resilient plate comrising an are greater than a semi-circum- :terence of the tube and attached to said inner plate, and split clamping rings for securing said plates upon said tube; substantially as described.

' 7. In a hand-hole construction for per mitting the removal of carriers from despatch tubes, in combination, a tube-section having an aperture of greater length than the carrier and comprising a semi-circumference of said tube, a curved inner plate closely fitting said aperture, a curved resili ent outer plate of greater dimensions than said inner plate and secured thereto, a plurality of split rings adapted to embrace said tube and outer plate, and means for clamping the ends of said split rings; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aliiX our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER V. HART.- FRANK J. NOVAK.

I/Vitnesses:

FLORENCE L. MARIs, DOROTHY M. CORSER. 

